Dog panting and unable to walk

[houndfan]

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Hi, I wondered if anyone might have any ideas about my girls funny phase? Sky will be 10 years old in April and is generally very fit. On Friday morning she was OK at 10 o'clock but when my Husband went into the house at 11 it was a different story. He shouted me in and I found her panting very heavily, sides going like bellows, she felt very hot all over, eyes bulging. I quickly picked her up and took her outside but she was unable to stand, just kept collapsing. My Husband ruxhed her to the vets, about 10mins away and he said she was marginally better by then. Vet took her temp, but although raised, not as high as she thought it would be. She got her to walk to my husband which she managed although very wobbly and she crumpled a couple of times. She did the pulling the back feet back to see how quickl;y she righted them and on one side she didn't make much effort at all. anyway, they kept her in on a drip overnight and she was much improved by the end of the day. Picked her up the following morning but they hadn't come up with anything, other than a possible slight heart murmour which we weren't aware of before. Asked if she had shown any sign of arthritis, which she hasn't. She wobbled slightly as she came out of the cage, but she could have been stiff. Anyway,she has to rest for a couple of days and they've given her a weeks worth of antibiotics and anti-inflamatries and said if it happens again take her straight back. She seems OK but our other dogs do seem to be watching her a bit strangly at times, they're a bit sharp with her. Has anybody got any clues? Thanks, Karen

 

[FeeFee]

My first thought reading this is that it sounds like a stroke, but I'm sure that's one of the first things your vet would have thought of and tested for.

So no real help I'm afraid, just want to send lots of good wishes and hope she's OK :luck: :luck:

 

[zilloot]

Gosh - I've just had a slightly similar thing with my old girl. She was off her legs and staggering in circles and when she tried to shake she completely fell over. Then she was sick.

I put her back in her bed and rushed off to shower before taking her to the vet. When I got back twenty minutes later she was fine. I've walked her round the garden and she's quite steady again.

I'm going to phone my vet to discuss it.

Hope your girl feels better soon :luck: :luck: :luck: :huggles:

 

[Janimal]

Hi, I wondered if anyone might have any ideas about my girls funny phase? Sky will be 10 years old in April and is generally very fit. On Friday morning she was OK at 10 o'clock but when my Husband went into the house at 11 it was a different story. He shouted me in and I found her panting very heavily, sides going like bellows, she felt very hot all over, eyes bulging. I quickly picked her up and took her outside but she was unable to stand, just kept collapsing. My Husband ruxhed her to the vets, about 10mins away and he said she was marginally better by then. Vet took her temp, but although raised, not as high as she thought it would be. She got her to walk to my husband which she managed although very wobbly and she crumpled a couple of times. She did the pulling the back feet back to see how quickl;y she righted them and on one side she didn't make much effort at all. anyway, they kept her in on a drip overnight and she was much improved by the end of the day. Picked her up the following morning but they hadn't come up with anything, other than a possible slight heart murmour which we weren't aware of before. Asked if she had shown any sign of arthritis, which she hasn't. She wobbled slightly as she came out of the cage, but she could have been stiff.  Anyway,she has to rest for a couple of days and they've given her a weeks worth of antibiotics and anti-inflamatries and said if it happens again take her straight back. She seems OK but our other dogs do seem to be watching her a bit strangly at times, they're a bit sharp with her. Has anybody got any clues? Thanks, Karen

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My Old dog Chip had fits in his latter stages of life and Im sorry but they sound so similar to this.

He also had a heart murmur too, when he ran for short bursts - he would completely collapse in the grass - sometimes I thought he had died - they were aweful experiences to go through. he also had some of these attacks in the house even when he wasnt being exerted at all.

He took tablets too every day for his heart to slow the pace down slightly and calm him. He took these for about 3 and half years.

I dont wish to alarm you, your symptoms may be the result of something else. I hope you get to the bottom of the problems soon. :luck: :cheers:

Good luck :luck:

 

[Trish]

my lurcher was 15 years old and started staggering one afternoon,she seemed to be leaning to her left and was very shaky on her legs,she was sick also,we rushed her to the vets to be told she had had a stroke and we was given steroids and sent home,within two weeks sghe had another bad do,which left her unable to use the steps and was very slow in her walking,then two weeks later she had another one and was unable to get up off the floor,tht was the last stroke she had

 

[June Jonigk]

A year ago my Jenna (who is 14 on Saturday) had a similar thing happen. The vet said it was a stroke. She had an injection, I think it was a steroid (memory going :- " !!! We were going off in the caravan for a week, so he gave me another injection to give her if she had another "turn". She was fine while we were away, but a couple of weeks later she had another do. I gave her the injection, and she recovered again quite quickly. The third time it happened, she recovered before I could get her to the vet! She has been on Vivitonin since the first episode, and has now been about 9-10 months without having a turn. She has quite a bad heart murmur, but enjoys her life as much as ever. We have found that limiting her exercise has helped, as we noticed that each time she was poorly, she had been running on the field the previous day. She now canters around the garden, but no more sprinting.

I'm not sure if this is the same as your girl Karen, but if it happens again we find the best thing is to confine them in a crate, as they keep trying to stand and that stops them from hurting themselves. For some reason, all the others rush at her barking too, I'm not sure if they would hurt her, but I scooped her up very quickly. Were your girls eyes flickering from side to side? Jenna's did, and she also swayed her head from side to side. The vet said the room is spinning for them, and that's why they're sick.

The vet said the only way to tell for sure what has happened is to have an MRI scan, but not worth doing as they would not be able to do anything about it at her age anyway.

I was convinced she was going to die, but she's here now naughty as ever, and although some days she looks a bit vague, most of the time she's stealing food and teaching the younger ones how to open the bin etc etc.

I think it's quite a common thing as they get older, Jenna sister has exactly the same symptoms, and is on the same medication.

Good luck Karen :luck: I'm sure she will come though ok.

 

[Millie]

Most dogs that show these symptoms are suffering from the following ............

Vestibular Disease Top

Much more common than strokes is Vestibular Disease which produces signs that can look like a stroke.

The vestibular system is responsible for maintaining normal balance and disease of the system affects the head and body's ability to orient themselves with respect to gravity.

Disorders of the vestibular system are divided into central vestibular disease and peripheral vestibular disease.

Central vestibular disease occurs due to an abnormality within the brain. Peripheral vestibular disease occurs due to an abnormality within the nerves of the inner ear. Most cases of vestibular disease are peripheral and no known cause is determined. These are referred to as idiopathic.

Old Dog Vestibular Disease Top

Peripheral vestibular disease is not an uncommon problem in older dogs, and is characterised by a sudden onset of signs including head tilt, wobbliness, falling or inability to stand due to loss of balance. Disorientation may be severe. Nystagmus (flickering of the eyes) is present and some dogs have transient nausea, vomiting and anorexia.

Since the cause of this problem is unknown it is termed 'idiopathic'. It is diagnosed by eliminating other causes of peripheral vestibular disease such as inner ear infection, and the condition improves over time (usually a few weeks although in some cases the head tilt is permanent). Some dogs benefit from motion sickness medication to treat nausea and vomiting.

.....................................

Giving a Stugeron (travel sickness tablet) can help with the dizzyness and sickness.

 

[houndfan]

Hi, Thankyou all very much for your replies and good wishes. You have certainly given us some more things to mull over. She's doing alright at the moment and the other dogs have settled down a bit. No she didn't have the flicking eyes and she hasn't been sick (I did have a Lab with Vestibular deisese some years ago and she had the flicking eyes). Her appetite is normal, although, I must admit she does seem to have dropped a little weight recently, just enough to make a couple more vertebrae more prominant than normal, so I have upped her food. I suppose it's just a game of wait and see for now. She's very much enjoying having her pills in cheese twice a day, every cloud as she says!! LOL Regards, Karen

 

[Seraphina]

I have know old dogs with Vestibular Disease go on happily for years, with just little limp to one side. Best wishes to your girl :luck: